Electronic Arts has officially announced itsBattlefieldsingle-player studio and the involvement ofHaloco-creator Marcus Lehto. While recentBattlefielditerations have opted not to include single-player campaigns, fans of the franchise have pushed for EA to dedicate to single-player going forward. Details regarding a new EA studio dedicated toBattlefield’s single-player efforts have been shared for some time, but only now is EA sharing details about the studio and its plans going forward.In late 2019 Marcus Lehto, the co-creator of theHalofranchise with Bungie, announced he’d joined EA to build a new studio in the Seattle area. The focus of his studio remained a mystery, however. Then in July, details regarding the newBattlefieldsingle-player studio began to be shared online. AnEA job listing for a Design Directorspecifically mentioned plans for a “new Battlefield single player campaign experience.” A “Battlefield Seattle Studio” was the referenced location for the position.RELATED:Battlefield 2042 Reveals What’s Coming in the Season 2 Battle PassThis Battlefield Seattle Studio now has a confirmed name. Going forward, it’ll be known as Ridgeline Games, a term referencing a line along the crest of a raised area like a mountain. It’s also confirmed thatMarcus Lehto will lead Ridgeline Gamesas both the head of the studio and game director of its initial project. Lehto has built out Ridgeline with a team of “industry veterans from around the world,” but is understandably still hiring given the studio’s youth.
As previous news regarding Ridgeline Games has made clear, the studio was made to develop single-player campaigns for theBattlefieldfranchise. No announcements have been made yet regarding the nature of Ridgeline’s ongoing work, however. It’s unclear if there will be a standalone single-play experience or if the campaign will be attached to thenext main seriesBattlefieldrelease. There is, at least, the insinuation that Ridgeline will be working onBattlefieldfor multiple projects.
It’s possible that there will be mixed reactions to the news of Ridgeline Games makingBattlefieldsingle-player campaigns going forward. There will be an initial negative response to EA, which previouslydeprioritized single-player gamesin favor of online experiences, which it has now reversed. There will also be questions about the future ofBattlefield. Some may have been hoping it’d go free-to-play, but a single-player experience will very likely meanBattlefieldremains a premium experience.
Battlefieldfans will have to remain patient before they receive any more answers. The nextBattlefieldgame is rumored to be planned for 2024, at the earliest. Since Ridgeline Games has only just been formed, it certainly won’t have asingle-playerBattlefieldgameavailable anytime soon. Now there’s a name behind the project, though, andBattlefieldfans can look forward to something special in the future.
